Audio Script Competition

by Bob Tinsley

As you may have noticed, TVWriter™ has been generously allowing me space from time to time to enthuse about the opportunities for writers in the Audio Drama field. Pursuant to that – and before LB decides to pull the plug – here’s something I think everybody who comes here should know:

The Audio Drama Production Podcast is holding a competition for new audio drama scripts. The bare bones are these:

They will be accepting scripts in any genre except fan fiction in three categories: 10-minute, 15-minute, and 30-minute scripts. For those of you unfamiliar with audio scripts a decent rule of thumb is 165 to 185 words of finished script to one minute of run time.

The submission window runs from January 8 to the 21st. The links to the place to pay and upload scripts will be posted on the website and FaceBook page on January 8. (see below)

The winning scripts will be performed live at The Vault Festival in London on March 7 and at the Edinburgh Podfest in August. The other scripts will be placed in a repository from which 20 producers will choose scripts they like to produce and distribute on the Interwebs.

The submission fee is $6 for up to three scripts.

Don’t worry too much about format. Celtix and, I believe, Final Draft have templates for audio (radio) plays. There are two accepted formats: one is the old radio format, also known as BBC format. Most dedicated voice actors that I have talked to prefer this format. Sample scripts and a Word and Wordclone compatible template can be downloaded from

The other format is the standard screenplay format. Most high-budget audio productions, such as Bronzeville with Laurence Fishburne and Homecoming with David Schwimmer, use this format because most of their actors are either film or TV actors.

The most important thing to remember is to pitch the action toward audible rather than visual cues. “John grabbed Mary and shook her,” doesn’t translate well to audio. “John grabbed Mary and shook her ’til her teeth rattled and her cheeks flapped like a dog with its head out the window of a speeding car,” on the other hand, does.

The audio drama field is growing by leaps and bounds, creating opportunities for those of us willing to give it a try. Even if you don’t win this competition, having your script chosen for production afterward will provide a nice hard-point on your resume.

The Audio Drama field is particularly nice because of its low cost of entry, but the nicest part about the Audio Drama community of producers and actors is how welcoming and helpful they all are. Give them half an excuse to choose your script, and they will.

So, get to writing, and be ready to submit starting January 8, 2018. You’ve got nothing to lose other than your unproduced status.